Redemption: The Path of the Fallen Angel Gabriel
by Lottatore per Amore
Summary: When the world you once knew has turned against you, and damnation seems to ensue, what path can you take? The only choice left is that of Redemption. NOTE: Some items have been changed by me to suit the needs of my story
1. Default Chapter

Prologue

War. This word has been the focal point of our lives. North American settlers wanted freedom from the king, so it became our revolution. When a Serbian assassinated the Archduke Ferdinand, it sparked the First World War, and yet its end solved nothing. Of course, you cannot really call something the "first" without having a "second", so then Adolph Hitler comes along to invade Poland, and again we erupted into World War, and again the war solved nothing, except remove another Power hungry lunatic.

To this day, the struggles still rage savagely throughout our world. Not all are seen, though, and not all are waged by humanity's hand. There is one that's constant, one of which is more severe then any and all; the War between Good and Evil.

It is of late that the hopeful light of good has been enveloped by the dark. As it is in the sky, only a few specks of light still shine through the blackness that is consuming all it sees. Those few protectors of the light, those that have given all, whose lives shall forever be remembered, have sacrificed their own lives to vanquish the darkness. Only the darkness is growing.

Deep in the night, in the shadows of damnation, the darkness, the disease, the plague from the seventh level of hell spreads like wildfire throughout the world. More and more fall victim to it every night. The plague is Vampirism. Thought to be only a myth in the time before men, Vampires have began to show themselves again, only this time, there is no one left to stop them. Any who try are murdered, fed on, or turned into another fiend of the night. One by one, they fall in vain defeat, adding to the plagues, becoming what they once set out to kill. Some retain their voice of good, and they try to use the turn to their advantage, but they too fall in time.

So it goes on, the Vampires keep feeding, keep killing, and they keep growing. Their numbers have grown so great, that they completely control most modern cities. Their hands firmly grasp society's Scepter of Power, and with each new passing night, they become more and more powerful, with no one there to stop them. Or, so they thought.

There are more to the old campfire ghost stories than most people know. Not all you see is what it appears to be. There are more than just those few Vampires, and what's more they are on the side of the light. There are forces sent down to protect us, be it from God, or anything else you deem worthy of a deity. You'll never see them, or you may, but if you are one of those to see the warriors of this eternal strife, you're likely to be brought into it, or become just another face lost in the shadows.

Now, there is a group of immortals known as the Lycanthropes, Lycans for short, and Werewolves by myth and slang. These are but only one army in the war, but they too are the most common and feared. They do not care if a mortal or two see them in their true forms, mainly because in doing so, the human will probably go insane at the sight, or merely forget about it the next day, shoving it aside as a drunken illusion.

Lycans hold honor in their eternal conflict with the Vampires, they keep it secret, and they see to it no harm comes to the mortals. Gaia, their goddess of the Earth, has sent them and they do all in her name. Although there are still a few bad apples on every tree, there are more who keep strong to their supernatural roots.

One more race thrives in this war; they are "The Mages". Human born, society raised, these people are immortals who in every aspect appear to be a normal, everyday person, but there is more to them than that. They're granted some magical gifts, and many more can be learned through training. After reaching maturity at the age of eighteen, they only age one year every century. This causes many of them to relocate to escape all of the questions raised by their longevity and apparent knack for being the only one to come back from a battle. The only way for them to truly die is to either be decapitated, or to have their heart removed from their chest. They're very powerful, but there is one draw back.

Being that they are human born, they are given the one attribute that all humans are, free will. This means not all are good-natured warriors for the light. This stems from when their powers we first realized, back in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, back when wars were fought on horse back with swords and shields. Entire armies would be slaughtered, and yet, the same few men and woman would always return from the battle, seemingly without a scratch on them. This lead to the beliefs that they were all demons, and that they had caused the deaths of countless others, and the only reason they lived was to come and slay the villages as well.

After a while of torment and excommunication, some began to believe this. They began to use their gifts to go against other people, their own families, friends, and everyone else who dared judge them as demons. And thus, the armies of evil grew one step further.

The odd thing about these people is the fact that their nickname was not always Mage, as a matter of fact, back when they first appeared, the only magic they had was their immortality. It was more commonly assumed that they were cursed at that time, not magical. Yet, as time moved on, they began to gain stronger and more powerful abilities. It has come to the point now that the very fabric of reality no longer holds any sway over them. Point in fact, they can change reality to suit their needs.

These forces have been sent here by God and Satan, Heaven and Hell, making the Earth their battlefield, and any who stand in their way are made to join the ranks, or die with the rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: Flashes From The Past

The night sky seemed to grow darker as the moon faded behind the autumn cloud cover, casting the shadows of the stars upon the city alleyways. The wind blew briskly across the terrain, causing Gabriel to lift the collar of his jacket around his neck. He wasn't a small man, he stood five foot eleven inches at the head, and was built quite lean and muscular. The hair from his ponytail blew limply in the wind, causing him to turn his head slightly to adjust for comfort. He stopped briefly in front of a store window and gazed over his appearance in the reflection.

His white hair was still bouncing in the wind, and his complexion seemed to have grown paler than the last time he remembered looking at it. His reflection too was beginning to fade more and more. Being a vampire as old as he now was, he could expect to be seen less and less by mirrors and cameras. That's the way it seems to go, it's just something in the blood of the damned that does not allow you to see or be seen by anything other than your own eyes. Some vampires cannot be seen at all after being turned; others retain that capability for a while longer. He was one of those, and it reminded him of how his life used to be.

He thought back to the days on the plantation, how he worked hard day after day, resting only to go to church on Sundays, how his four sons would always be right there to help him run the farm. The youngest, Adam, a boy of eight years, would always be wanting to tend to the dogs, and then James, who had just turned thirteen, kept pestering his father to train him to drive the wagon to town. James had always wanted to work with the horses. He loved them so much that he spent many nights out in the stables just to be with them. Then there were Jacob and Steven, the eighteen-year-old twins, who Gabriel had been teaching to take over in case anything happened to him during the time of the war. Then there were his two girls. Stephanie and Lisa, who were ten and twelve, who would always be slaving over the stoves with their mother, Sarah.

His thoughts turned to Sarah, his wife, his one true love, how he yearned to hold her in his arms again. How long had it been since that fateful night? How many centuries has he roamed the darkness in despair? No matter how hard he tried, her memory would not leave his head. He closed his eyes, and thought back to when he was happy, back to when he had never heard of vampires, back when he was alive. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The hot summer sun beat down on his sweat-drenched body, it was in the last few days of August, and they were indeed an inferno of heat. He and the twins were working the fields, trying to get ready for the last harvest of the season before fall set in. It was mid-afternoon, and everything had been going as planned. Their prized horse, Nelly, had just given birth to a strong looking colt two nights prior, and James was in the stables looking after him and the mother. James had pleaded with his father to let him name it. How could he deny his son this one simple request?

"Alright James," Gabriel had said, "you may name him on one condition; it has to be a good, strong name." James was so excited he ran around the whole parlor hugging every family member present.

"You have it, father, I will see to it he has the strongest name of any horse!" with that he ran to the stables and spent the last two nights there beside their stall.

Now, back on the field, Jacob began to question his father on the war. "Father, do you think the war will come as far as here? We are quite away from the nearest town."

Gabriel took the hat off his head and wiped the sweat from his eyes. "No Jake, I do not think we shall see any signs of that war here. There is no reason for them to stumble this far out into the country."

And he was right the soldiers wouldn't, at least not the living ones.

As the night began to fall on their home, the entire family was just sitting down to dinner. The clock was just striking eight, and the table was set. Sarah came in dressed in her normal clothing, but Gabriel still sat in awe. She was so beautiful. Her light brown hair fell out of her bonnet in strands, and the heat and sweat from the kitchen held them glued to her forehead, and still her beauty was breath taking.

As she sat at the table next to Gabriel, she noticed his steadfast gaze. She smiled to him, and leaned in to give him a kiss.

As she brought her head back from his, she whispered, "Has the heat gotten to you Gabriel? You were staring in the most peculiar way just then." Gabriel's heart beat quicker in his chest. He had loved her since they were children, and she still took his breath without even knowing.

He answered her inquiry, "No dear, being outside did me good. I was just admiring my wife." He gave her a wide grin and winked towards her. Her face seemed to blush ever so slightly as she sat down and slid in closer to the table.

As she was seated, they all joined hands and said their blessings upon their dinner. Gabriel had led them.

"Father, we ask you to bless this food that we are about to eat. May it give us strength and keep us healthy. This in Jesus' sweet name we pray, Amen." They all repeated the praise after him, and began to eat.

After dinner was finished and the girls were cleaning up, Gabriel excused himself from the house and went to see what James was doing in the barn. Gabriel walked in and saw nothing at first, but then noticed a pair of legs hanging from the rafters just above Nelly's stall. He followed them up and saw James sitting and watching over the two horses as they slept.

James noticed his father and made his way quietly through the rafters to his father. He dropped down from the beams and walked over to Gabriel. Gabriel reached out his right hand and put it on his sons shoulder.

"Good evening son. How are the mother and the baby feeling?"

"Good father. They have been asleep for about a half hour now. Father, what do you think about naming the colt Hercules? You said he should have a strong name. Hercules was the strongest man in Greek mythology, so I think that name would suit him fine."

Gabriel laughed as he thought about this. "Now James, you must pay quite a mind to your schoolwork to know that. Why, I believe Hercules us a fine name for our horse." They walked to the Stable together, and Gabriel lifted his son up to the fence gate.

James chimed in, "Yes, Hercules will be a fine name, and he will be a fine horse as well!"

Gabriel smiled, "You know what son, I believe…"

He was cut off by the sound of something heavy crashing through the hayloft upstairs. Gabriel held James back and looked towards the stairs. There were more sounds of people coming in through the hole made by whatever had first penetrated the walls. There was grunting, running, and fighting going on up there, and it sounded rough.

The horses awoke at this, and began to make a commotion. They sensed what was going on, and neither seemed to like whatever was above them. They neighed and kicked trying to get the chance to escape from the situation they were currently in.

"James, go to the house. You and your brothers get my guns from the closet in my room. Take the girls and lock yourselves in the cellar. Now go, quickly, quietly."

"But father, I want to help! What if something happens to you," but the look Gabriel gave him drove the point home. "Yes father. Please be careful." With that he ran to the house as stealthy as possible.

Gabriel walked to the supply rack just past the stall beside the stairs and grabbed the pitchfork from off top of it. He slowly made his way to the stairs, peeking in to see if there was anyone at the top in the opening. He saw no one, and slowly began to ascend into the loft.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The wind blew fiercely, forcing Gabriel back into the present. He had let his memories take control yet again. As he let his gaze fall back into the store window, he caught sight of a digital clock on the store's shelf, 5:00A.M. The sun would be rising shortly, and he felt entitled to miss that pastel mirage. He had about an hour to spare comfortably, and it would take him twenty minutes to get back home.

He lived in a small condo overlooking the Hudson -River, as secluded as one may get in this city. He took one more long stare at himself in the window, and then he walked back to his vehicle. He smiled in thought of his car, a 1969 Chevrolet Camero, jet black, red interior, T-tops, and chrome wheel covers in the shape of a Celtic cross.

He loved this car he had had it since the very first day it came out. Over the years, he had devised a plan or two to keep some money hidden away, and also to keep it flowing in. This Camero was the prize of that. He kept it in peak condition, and never let so much as a scratch get by. If there is one thing you need as an immortal, it is a toy to keep yourself amused with, and this was his.

He glided into the driver's seat and started up the vehicle, it purred to life. He buckled his safety belt and left. He drove down the narrow alleyway back onto the main drag and headed home. On the way back, he took a quick survey of the New York night about him.

There were a few hookers across the street trying to find a client, or two, for the night. Down a few of the alleys the drug lords went about their business as well. A group of local degenerates had just robbed the liquor store and were currently running down the streets to their hideout.

_How funny is it_, he thought, _that in all of our years of "evolution", it seems that all humanity has really done is digress in their intelligence. I would rather have died back when life still held some meaning besides take what you can from whom you can when you can. I am beginning to think that we vampires do have more class and morals than some of these fools._

Gabriel traveled down the road, still observing that night, when he suddenly had a feeling of being ill at ease. Someone was watching him from somewhere, but he did not know where. He pulled the car into the always open Sheetz gas station and drove up to the pumps. He got out, casually peering left and right, grabbing the hose and opening the gas cap of the Camero. As he was filling the car, he began to whistle and look into the back windows, studying the reflection for anything, or anyone rather, that may appear to have a fix on him. He saw no one, and wondered if it was just a passing feeling of unease. It was, after all, New York, the city of a million eyes. Whose to say he just thought someone was out for his car. Whatever it was, Gabriel was sure that it posed no immediate threat to him.

The gas pump clicked loudly to signal that the gas tank was full. He topped the fluid off to an even tweny-seven dollars worth and placed the nozzel back into it's craddle. He dug out thirty dollars from his wallet and turned to go inside.

"Boo!"

Gabriel whipped around to see a man in his early thirties, dressed in khaki shorts and a black tank top leaning on the trunk of his car. He was not muscular, but then again he did not look weak. He had short, auburn hair that was combed straight, and thin framed wire rimmed glasses set comfortably on his nose.

"David! My God! Give me one reason not to beat the Hell out of you right now!?"

The man chuckled loudly and eased himself up off of the Camero's trunk. He stepped to the side with apparent grace and light footed strides and extended his hand to Gabriel.

"You, my friend, will never change," he replied as he shook his friend's hand. "So just what was the point of sneaking up on me? By chance were you following me tonight?"

David released Gabriel's hand and acted shocked. "Why, Gabe, do you think your good friend David would _ever _do anything of that sort?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, "David, I would never let the thought enter my mind." The two men laughed as Gabriel worked his way to the store to pay for his fuel.

"So Gabe, how's it hangin'? Any new clients to be looking for," David asked as he slid up to the door and opened it for Gabriel.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "David, why must you refer to them as such? They are not clients, they are..." Gabriel looked around to see that he was now inside the station with at least ten customers, half of which had turned their attention towards the new faces walking into the station. David himself shot Gabriel a stern look. "Uhhh, where was I? Oh, yes, they are not clients, they are costomers."

It was now David's turn to roll his eyes, "Yeah, whatever you say Gabe. Now, have you found anymore? Business has been slow lately."

"Well, I have been trying to dig up information on a few reliable contacts, but nothing yet." Gabriel walked up to the counter and waited at the end of a four person line. David followed closely behind. "I think I may be getting close though. I, uh, uncovered some 'paperwork' that we missed. It seems one of our," he paused, "one of our previous 'candidates' seems to have more potenital then I thought."

"Is that so? Hm..." He rubbed his chin and seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Gabe, ya know what I think?"

Gabriel grinned, "No, but something tells me I am about to."

David just continued rubbng his chin, "Well, I honestly think I need to shave." He grinned also and winked at Gabriel.

Gabriel laughed. "And I believe you are an ass..."

"Next!" The lady behind the counter was awaiting Gabriel to pay his bill.

"Right! How much was that again?" Gabriel thumbed through the bills in his wallet.

Before the cashier could tell him, David smacked gabriel on top of the head. "I'm the ass, eh? You've got the thirty bucks in the same hand as the wallet!"

Gabriel winced and looked into the other side of his right hand. Sure enough, there was a twenty and a ten in beside the leather pouch. "Oh! Heh heh, my bad. Her you go miss, keep the change."

The cashier took the money and rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks mister," she replied none to enthusiastcaly and with a heavy New York accent.

He put the wallet back into his coat and turned toward the door with David. "Wow, now _that _is the famous New York gratitude you hear so much about."

The two laughed as they headed back out to Gabriel's car. David walked over to the driver side with Gabriel and took up the prior conversation. "So, what is the dirt you have dug up on William?"

Gabriel surveyed the area quickly, and after a moment of concideration, replied, "Dave, it's kindda chilly out tonight, let me give you a ride home."

David put on a heavy lisp and motioned with his hands, "Aw sweety, I thought you'd _never _ask." He laughed and walked over to the passanger side and got in the car.

Gabriel pulled out and headed towards Central Park. "O.K. I was thumbing through a few reports in the N.Y.P.D. 'Case Closed' file, and came across something interesting. Remember here three months ago, around the begining of August, there were a series of murders/rapes in the lower Manhattan area?"

David turned towards Gabriel and nodded in affirmation.

"Well, the assailant was caught and eventually confessed guilty to ten out of the eleven victims deaths. There was one, the one that took place near Central Park, that he denied any and all involvement with. I personaly over saw that crime scence because the victim was reportedly bitten by an animal of some sort, and was found drained of a good portion of her blood.

"Upon enetering the area, I immediately pushed aside the notion that it was Vampire related. Although she was definately bitten, and there was no real situational evidence that would incriminate any human, there was sufficient belief that a Lycan would be the culprit. Up to now, I figured that was it, case closed. Although, when I was looking through the same file again last night, I came across something interesting. The photos showed that the area of her neck between the mandible and the upper chest had been torn out, there was still some discrepency in the manner of which that chunk of flesh had been removed. If it weren't for the fact that there was indeed traces os semen and forced intercourse evident. the locals would have shrugged it off as an animal attack.

"Anyway, I took the photos and had a few friends take a look, and we revealed that the flesh was not bitten off, but like someone had just grabbed and torn it right off. There were no teeth marks, but it indeed seem like claws of some sort had ripped through the skin. So I have come up with a new idea as to who the criminal is here. Let's just assume that I was a hungry Vampire, which I actually haven't fed in that past few nights..."

David shot Gabriel a double take, "What!? Hey, listen, if you get all beastial on me and try to sink those fangs into..."

Gabriel chuckled, "Anyway, I'm hungry and in the search of something good to eat. I see an attractive young brunette walk past me and cast a teasing stare. I start walking with her, use a little Vampiric charm and next thing you know we are down an alley getting firsky. One thing leads to another, you get into the loving feeling, and then the beast takes control, and badda-bing-badda-boom, you've just broken the young lady's neck and drained her dry. So, you begin to worry, and do not want to just leave a drained corpse lying around the alley. People wander on past the alley, not paying attention to you at first. So, you grab hold of her throat and rip out the area to which your teeth marks have been implanted, and let what little bit of fluid is left drain out. Then, after having hidden your tracks, simply dissapear from the scene before fingers are pointed in your direction."

David took this all in. "Yeah, yeah that does make sense, but why would he freak out about leaving teeth marks? I thought you mosquittos had the special little ability to heal the wound."

Gabriel's voice became rough, "Damnit, I told you I hate that nickname. As for the bite marks, I believe William's blood carries the curse that he cannot heal the wound after feeding off of someone."

"Uh-huh. That seems to make sense then. Oh, and you have my _sincerest_ appologies," David said placing his hand over his heart and holding up his index and middle fingers in the boy scout honor.

"Hey, Dave?"

David laughed heartily, "Yeah Gabe?"

"Go fuck yourself."

David rubbed his chin again, "You know, grandma always said that'd make you go blind, and I don't even have glasses yet."

Gabriel rolled his eyes, "Wow, you need help," he shook his head, "a lot of help."

"Tell me something I don't know. So, are we going to do some digging into the William scenario?" David asked taking a more business-like tone.

Gabriel looked at the clock on the dash radio. It read 5:45 AM. "Uh, yeah, but that will have to wait for tonight. Meet me at my house around nine-thirty and we will work on it."

"Hey that sounds like a plan! Now, where the heck do you live?" David asked as he dug for a pen and notepad in his breast pocket.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you've never been to my home. I think I can trust you. I live a quarter mile off the bridge going over the Hudson. The address is 5605 New Hope Avenue. Be there BY nine-thirty on the dot, got it?"

David was quickly jotting these things down as he repeated the time, "Nine-thirty, New Hope Avenue... Got it. Hey, we are near the park, just drop me off right here."

Gabriel shot him a worried look, "I am not very well accepted around here. The werewolves aren't very receptive of my kind."

"Well, that is why you are just going to drive off after I get out, because I am in good standings with them. To tell you the truth..." He trailed off.

"What's that?" Gabriel asked as he looked towards David.

David struggled to unbuckled his seatbelt as the car halted. "I am kind of _involved_ with one of the Garou around here."

Gabriel's jaw dropped and he shot David a sideways glance.

"What!? She's hot, and she doesn't mind my being a mage. Infact, that is one of the reasons she likes me. She is intrigued by the whole idea that reality has no hold on me."

Gabriel still sat shocked.

"Not to mention, she is an animal in the sack," he turned his head slightly to Gabriel for his reaction.

Gabriel shook himself out of the daze. "OH! Oh-hoo! Bad pun, Dave, really bad pun. O.K., we're here, now get out of here before your in-laws come to meet me."

David patted Gabriel on the shoulder as he unbuckled his belt. "'Night Gabe, I'll see you tonight."

Gabriel pulled out from the park and headed home.

The drive from the park was uneventful. The lights polution from the city shown very brightly in the early morning sky above him.

_So much in this society is polluted and impure, _Gabriel thought to himself as he drove, _and yet, how is it that something so beautiful in it's appearance could be so stained within. I don't understand why things have unfolded the way they have. It seems that what is beauty on hte outside is darkness on the inside, and something that looks so evil, is nothing but the purest benevolence within. _

"I guess it's just another way for humans to test their ignorence and keep it fully intact," he said to himself.

Gabriel drove the rest of the ride in silence, withdrawn from everything around him except the road, and his destination.

He pulled into his driveway at home and opened the garage door. He placed the Comero into its position just beside his others possesions; a Harley Davidson back from his biker days, and a Hummer, also black, from when he was part of the military. These were all special in their own way, with little modifications made specifically by him to help in his combat against those who wished to fight him.

The bike, for instance, may seem like a normal hog, but with the push of a button, he could get a nitrous boost to knock him up to just about two hundred miles per hour. This speed is what most normal people call "suicide". Once again, there are advantages to being a vampire, because his reflexes were tuned well enough that he could easily maneuver the bike at those speeds.

As for his Hummer, it has a reinforced, armor plated frame and body that would stop any bullet from penetrating it's exterior. The windshields were also armored to the point where just about nothing short of a bomb could shatter the specially made glass. The one thing he really appreciated from his time in the military.

His Camero was not all that special. It was the normal vehicle, it just had a top of the line G.P.S. he had installed last year. He only used it to help track where he had to go and where other possible targets would be. He did not think that it needed to be tainted with war as much as the others. This way at least one thing he knew could still be in its own natural, pure form.

He locked the garage and headed into his little abode. As he entered the door, he noticed the clock now read 6:21 AM; he had spent more time in the garage than he had thought. He walked into his bedroom and made sure all of the blinds were pulled down and that the windows were blacked out. He undressed into his shorts and undershirt and then went to sleep. And again as he slept, the memories took over once more.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He climbed the stairs to the loft and stopped in the doorway. The only torches to see by were towards the bottom of the stairs, and he dared not take one up with him for fear of alerting the intruders of his presence.

He peered into the doorway once he reached the top. The moon was full and it gave some light in through the roof where a large hole was now present. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the loft, and slowly, he began to make out the shapes in the area. There were, by his count, three seemingly well-built men, all surrounding another man that was huddled in a corner, cutting off all chances of escape for him

The man in the corner was dressed in a slightly provocative way. He wore an elaborate shirt, which appeared to be from and English design. His pants were eloquent as well, made of the finest velvet, so it seemed, that shimmered in the moonlight. From far away he couldn't quite tell, but he man looked quite familiar to Gabriel.

The men on the left and right sides were dressed in field work clothes, nothing particularly special about their style.

The one in the middle seemed to be dressed in field officer fatigues. Crisp and clean, with the confederate markings on them.

Gabriel listened intently, trying to make heads or tails out of the rough conversation currently going on.

"Now what were you hoping to accomplish with this rather rudimentary run through the countryside, Syther?" asked one of the voices, Gabriel guessed it was the one near the front, the military one.

One of the others from directly beside him also poked his own two cents in. "Yeah," he said, "did you honestly believe you could flee from here and not be hunted? Our master does not share your sediment there, hence why he dispatched us to seek you."

The form huddled on the floor tried to back his way further into the wall, "Leave me alone! I did nothing to harm him. I do not deserve this harassment! Why does Lysander want me? I have no quarrel with the Sabatt. I am neutral to the causes of both it and the Camarilla. So I ask to be freed at once."

The three looked at each other, and then back at the huddled mass in the corner, which Gabriel now believed to be Syther, and laughed in unison. The first one, the one who had been doing most of the talking, leaned down close and whispered something to the man on the floor.

All at once, Syther leapt from the ground and tackled the man who had been whispering in his ear. The other two started clapping and antagonizing Syther and the other man as they rolled in the hay. They did not seem to punch each other as much as claw at one another. And there was a loud ruckus emitting from this brawl.

Gabriel took his chance; he nudged his way down the side of the wall and crept into the shadows. He had now effectively halved the distance between he and the brawlers. He crouched behind a stack of hay and tried to get a better vantage point.

The two men who hadn't spoken much yet came upon the brawl and struggled to separate Syther and the other.

"They have nothing to do with this, do you hear me, _nothing_. This quarrel you have is with myself alone. Do not bring the innocents into it!" Syther raved as he swung with all of his might to escape their clutches.

The other fighter began to calm down and laughed as he composed himself. "Syther, you have no authority to be ordering me or my men around. So we will do as we so desire, and if that means we are going to gorge upon the members of this household, then so shall it be."

Syther fought to free himself from the grasp of the one holding him, but it was to no avail. "Please, I beg you. They helped me not long ago; I owe them my life, so please spare theirs."

The one Syther had attacked stood and adjusted his clothing back to comfort. "You see that is what makes you so much different from the rest of the vampires. You kept the ties of your humanity intact to the point where you believe they are our equals. WAKE UP, SYTHER! They are nothing but _livestock_! They are the cattle, and we are the butchers. You let your pathetic excuse for a conscience get in the way of our cause. It is our time, Caine knew that, and he passed the gift to those who he felt were worthy of it, and you disgrace that birthright."

Gabriel became awestruck. _Vampires? _Vampires!? _No, this is not possible. And that man, Syther, he was the one Jaccob and I helped along the road three nights past. Could he really be a vampire? He seemed to be a pure natured man. There must be something wrong here._

Syther stood and finally shook the one confining him. "No William, _you're _the disgrace to our bloodline," he spat. Syther began to change in his appearance and take on more of a feral look. He crouched down to his hands and knees, and seemingly "transformed" into a medium sized wolf that took off running past the men.

The one in the fatigues, the one who fought with Syther, the one who Gabriel decided was William, shouted orders to his men. "Don't _dare _allow him to escape! If he successfully evades us, your heads shall roll!"

Gabriel was struggling to accept any of this._ Did Syther take the form of an animal? What kind of sorcery is this!? _

It suddenly occurred to Gabriel that the wolf was now advancing on his current hiding place. He tried to sink back into the shadows and remain hidden, but it was no use. As the wolf passed by, it stopped and gazed at Gabriel. Gabriel looked back into the beast's eyes, and was met with a look of profound surprise, and utter dismay. The wolf hung his head, and shifted back into his human form.

"I am sorry Gabriel. You should not have been brought into this."

"It's too late for apologies, Syther, but I believe you are not here to harm me. Please, help me drive these fiends from my home."

Syther nodded just as the first of the two henchmen came upon them. As the first struck out at Syther, Gabriel thrust his pitchfork straight out into the offender's left shoulder. He let out a shrill cry of pain and recoiled from the initial pain and shock grasping his wounded arm.

"God damned! What the," he looked at Gabriel, some blood pouring through his fingers. "You shall pay for that, you insignificant flea." When he took his hand away, the wound had seemed to close. Gabriel looked at him, and then at his injured arm, which inexplicably healed and was no longer bleeding.

"Syther, I think you had better explain the situation post-haste, because something is not right here."  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Gabriel's eyes fluttered slightly as he rose from his dream. He laid there for a moment going over the events of his dream. _Why am I focusing on my past so much? What is it that is drawing me back there? So many years have passed since then, and all I can do now is focus on that one night. Is there something that I missed? Is there something that I need to go back over? Is there _anything_ to find? _

"Am I just recovering from a meaningless dream?" he asked blankly into the night, mocking his own thoughts. He stood up and stretched out a bit while he chastised himself for being so naive. Dreams are nothing more than your subconscious remembering the past. He had simply been thinking too much on the past, and as a result it had now taken charge of his dreams.

He walked into his closet and browsed the selections of clothing. He grabbed one of the black T-shirts from the rack, as well as a pair of faded blue jeans, and stepped into the bathroom to change.


End file.
